Veteran Graduates Prove Age Is No Barrier To Earn PhD

JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Age proved to be no barrier for Dr Abd Jalil Hassan, who successfully completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in civil engineering, at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

The 62-year-old Perak native said his passion for learning and desire to share his knowledge motivated him to dedicate eight years to completing his thesis titled “Reducing Uncertainties Through Semi-Distributed Modelling in Flood Flow in Large Catchment.”

“I pursued my PhD in Civil Engineering for eight years, starting in 2016,” he told reporters after UTM’s Pro-Chancellor Proclamation and 68th Convocation Ceremony, here today.

He shared that he had previously worked as an engineer at the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) before opting for early retirement to establish his own engineering consultancy firm.

“With more than 30 years in this field, I have gained a wealth of knowledge, and I feel the best way to give back is through sharing it with academic recognition,” he said.

He said among the challenges in completing his PhD journey was the mobility restrictions during the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel that COVID-19 was the main challenge, as it restricted movement, but Alhamdulillah, I managed to complete my PhD successfully, albeit taking a bit longer,” he said.

Meanwhile, international PhD graduate from India, Dr Maroti Khokale, 66, expressed his aspiration to become a lecturer at a higher learning institution in Malaysia.

Dr Maroti, who earned his PhD in Strategic Management, said he is excited to share his 40 years of experience, knowledge and expertise in the oil and gas industry, particularly in the field of energy transition.

“Age, health, and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic were among the challenges I faced in obtaining my PhD, which forced me to postpone my studies for a year. However, these were not insurmountable obstacles.

“My deep passion and desire to contribute to the next generation made me more determined to give back everything I’ve learned, especially to those in this field,” said Dr Maroti, who has been residing in Malaysia for 18 years.

Abd Jalil and Maroti Khokale were among 584 PhD graduates at UTM’s 68th Convocation Ceremony.

-- BERNAMA